Strawberry wine

Remove the stems and leaves and cut the strawberries into pieces. Strawberries are very fruity and acidic, so water and sugar are added to the berry pulp prior to fermentation to reduce the acidity to about 0.8% and increase the sweetness.

Dissolve the yeast in 100°F water (use 1 gram of yeast for every 1 gallon of liquid), and add it to the fruit-sugar-water mixture. Add the yeast to the mixture within thirty minutes of dissolving so a food source is available to the yeast.

Fermentation should occur at 70°F for about three to four days. After three days, strain the mixture through cheesecloth and place it into a 5-gallon glass jug fitted with a fermentation bubbler. After another five to ten days, the wine will have reached an alcohol content of about 10%. When the wine reaches the desired alcohol and residual sugar content, stop the fermentation by placing the wine mixture in a cold room (30°F) or filtering it. When fermentation has nearly stopped, rack wine in clean fermentor; add one crushed Campden tablet, replace lock and let stand a month to clear.

Strawberry wine can be allowed to ferment until the alcohol content reaches about 17%. However, wine with such a high alcohol is rather harsh and will require a significant amount of sugar to balance the alcohol. Stopping the fermentation process at 9 to 10% is recommended.

Extra notes
*During the wine making process, it is very important to keep fermentation temperatures stable between 70-75 degrees F. Getting the fermentation too cool could result in the fermentation stopping before all the alcohol is made.

*When fermentation is complete, making sure it is done fermenting by checking it with a hydrometer; it should have finished down to 1.000 or lower.
Strawberry wine

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Utilization of grapes

Grapes are small, juicy, sweet fruit that grows in woody vines throughout much of the world, virtually everywhere the climate will support any of the many varieties that exist.

Grapes are mainly used for wine and related fermented products (such as vinegar, wine) with table grapes and raisin a distant second and third, respectively in ranking. Grapes are also utilized to produce unfermented grape juice, jams and jellies.

Much of the world production of grapes ends up as wine, and it is made into a bewildering array of types and price points. Approximately 70 percent of the world’s grape production goes into wine.

Grape juice is derived from grapes that are expressed to extract their juice; separated from the pulp, seeds and skin; and pasteurized at 185 degrees. More expensive grapes may be grown specifically for grape juices and may not necessarily be concentrated or frozen.

Grapes are planted as vines or cuttings from older plants. The cuttings produce arms bearing fruit, the greatest yields coming after 3 years of growth. Properly pruned and cared for, vines produce fruit for many years.
Utilization of grapes

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Saké rice wine fermentation

Saké , a Japanese traditional alcohol beverage is produced by saccharification of rice starch by koji and alcoholic fermentation. Sake making has developed into a modern fermentation industry, producing clear, pale-colored rice wine with alcoholic content of 1% - 16% or higher. It has characteristics flavor and aroma, small amount of acid and slight sweetness.

Raw materials for saké: water used for saké should be colorless, tasteless and odorless, neutral or weakly alkaline, and substantially free of iron, nitrate, ammonia, organic substance and harmful organisms.

Rice of the short-grained varieties is considered best for saké manufacture and large grains are considered desirable.

The characteristics features in saké brewing are the use of ‘koji’ a culture of Aspergillus oryzae grown on and within steamed rice grains and parallel fermentation by saké yeast.

The first step is the preparation of milled rice and its steaming. This followed by the preparation of koji and the preparation of moto mash, starter for saké yeast prepared by mashing steamed rice, koji and water. The moto bubbles for a few days in a warm environment.

Koji and water are added in the evening, then the next morning more rice is added. Once all the rice has been incorporated, the rice mash is known as moromi.

The main fermentation takes 20-25 day. When fermentation has ceased the moromi mash is filtered to remove the solids; the filtrate thus obtained is fresh saké. After about a month, the fresh saké is pasteurized and stored.
Saké rice wine fermentation

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